Truce?
by Mailani4ewa
Summary: Why did she deserve to survive? Many other stronger demigods had fallen in combat, so why was she still here? Oneshot Tratie if you please


The war was over, they had won. So why didn't Katie feel joyful? Instead, she felt the exact opposite; her thoughts were nothing but grief and her heart full of sorrow.

Well, Katie actually did know the answer to that question: death. She wasn't-- no couldn't be happy when the stench of death surrounded the Manhattan area.

Why did _she_ deserve to survive?

Many other stronger demigods had fallen in combat, so why was she still here?

It was like some cruel fate devised by the Fates.

She hadn't known the extent of the losses until she regrouped with the rest of their forty men army. The Demeter cabin had faired pretty well, only a few scratches here and there. However, others were not as lucky.

 _Michael Yew, Apollo: MIA_

 _Silena Beauregard, Aphrodite: Dead_

 _Charles Beckendorf, Hephaestus: Dead_

 _Kyle Wesley, Unclaimed: Dead_

 _Kimberly Li, Apollo: MIA_

 _Janet Westfall, Athena: Dead_

 _Lydia Lightwood, Hunter of Artemis: Dead_

 _Parker Carter, Hermes: MIA_

And countless others who are all stronger than her.

So why was she the one that was able to sit on the street curb?

Why was she that one that could still breath and think?

A voice directly behind Katie startled her, "Stop walloping in your misery and scooch over, Gardner."

She shuffled over to be joined by none other than Travis Stoll. His curly hair was matted, his face lacking his normal mischevious look.

"You know Connor is being treated by the Apollo cabin for a dislocated shoulder?" It was not really a question, just a statement. Travis continued, "He went back to go find Parker. Survived a war with no scratch only to be defeated by a pile of rubble. The dumbass tumbled off a loose stone."

The two just sat there staring out at the abandoned street until Katie finally broke the silence, "I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't really know Parker, but he probably was a great guy."

"Ah well... he was a great guy. He loved a good prank as much as the next camper. But this was war, we expected loss. Especially since our cabin is so big, there was no way we were getting out of this unscathed. And as selfish as it sound, we are all just thankful that it was not us."

Katie let the words sink in, "Don't you ever just wonder why the fates decided that their lives should end, but yours should continue? Those people, so much stronger and braver than you, yet weak and scared you survived."

Travis looked at Katie, a look on his face that Katie could not discern. His blue eyes bore holes into her green ones, "Is that what you feel?"

Katie looked back at the street. Was that what she truly felt? "Yes... At least a part of me does. Why do I have the ri--"

"Don't say that."

"Don't say what?"

"Don't say you don't have a right to live. That it should have been you. Don't say you're not strong enough. Because you are. There is a reason you're here. It's because you are strong. "

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but the others were stronger, more useful than me. Take for example, Michael Yew. He is a healer, an important figure at Camp. Me? I grow stuff. Michael would be so much more useful than me because boy do we need healers."

"And you grow Camp's strawberries. Think about it. You and your cabin are the ones that support Camp. Without you, we would be broke. So, yeah I would say you do have a purpose at camp."

Again, silence engulfed the two demigods. They stayed like that for awhile, two demigods starting out to the empty Manhattan street until Travis cleared his throat, "You know... even though we have our silly cabin rivalry, I am glad you are alive if that means anything to you."

Katie let the works sink in, "And I, you. Our rivalry seems pretty small now compared to this."

Travis draped his arm over Katie, squeezing her shoulders in a weird hug, "I guess it is."

The daughter of Demeter stuck out her hand in a motion of peace, "Truce?"

Travis smirked at her in his troublemaker fashion, "Fat chance." And with that he left Katie to her thoughts.

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Katie doesn't know how much time had passed before Miranda came to tell her they were about to leave for camp. Five minutes? Ten? Twenty? An hour?

Miranda had joined her like Travis had. They both just sat in silence before Miranda nudged her, "Alright Katie, time to head back to camp."

Miranda stood. Not looking at her, Katie replied, "Ok, I'll be over in a second."

"You've got five minutes." Miranda started to walk away. Then she abuptly paused, turned around and laughed. "Hey Katie..."

"Yes?"

"You've got a 'kick me' sign on your back."

This confused Katie, a 'kick me' sign? When would someone have pu--

"TRAVIS!"


End file.
